Tag Archive for design

Reusing portable storage units is not a new idea. In the last decade we’ve seen them used for trendy urban apartments, coffee shops, even a museum. But Taco Bell is on the verge of taking the concept mainstream. The company unveiled a restaurant built from portable storage units this week in Austin, Texas, home of the growing South by Southwest music festival.

The restaurant, which has half the footprint of a traditional Taco Bell, was built in three days and can be easily taken down and relocated. This flexibility and speed could be the key to meeting the restaurant chain’s plans of adding 2,000 new locations over the next 7 years. One Taco Bell representative said in a press release that they are likely to “explore dropping this type of asset in different locations, which will ultimately give us the ability to show up in unexpected places for our consumers.”

Of course we are big fans of modular construction and the strategic reuse of buildings. We just hope one pops up near us.

Smart phones are working in construction almost as hard as the construction professionals that use them. But finding the latest and greatest Apps can be a challenge that consumes as much time as a quality App saves. Fortunately, the gang at Sourceable.net compiled their list of the Top 10 Construction Apps to simplify our search. Click on the image below to view the full infographic and see which Apps you should be downloading.

We’ve told you before that modular construction is faster than conventional building. Well, Broad Sustainable Building has shown the amazing speed of modular once again. The China-based builder has delivered several large-scale modular projects at unbelievable speeds. Their most recent project, a 57-story high-rise, was completed in just 19 days. Don’t believe us? Watch the time-lapse video below and see for yourself.

Portable storage containers are commonly used by construction firms and retail stores to keep materials, equipment and inventory safe from the elements and theft. But around the world, architects, community planners and entrepreneurs are finding new, inventive ways to use portable storage units to create visually stunning places for people to work, eat and live.

Here are some great examples of how storage containers have been reinvented around the world.

Container Cities

Photo: CMGLee

Photo: CMGLee

In 2001, Container City I was built in London’s Trinity Buoy Wharf by Urban Space Management. The project transformed 40’ storage containers into affordable housing and office space in just four days.

The following year, the firm expanded the development with the creatively named Container City II, adding more offices and several colorful bridges that connect it to Container City I.

From hospital expansions to standalone urgent care facilities, modular construction is quickly becoming the building method of choice for healthcare providers in need of new or additional space. According to Healthcare Design, 49 percent of the industry’s new construction is modular. The trend was confirmed in the McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report on prefabrication and modularization which named healthcare as the industry best suited to take full advantage of the benefits of modular construction.

Greater flexibility, repeatability and significantly reduced time to occupancy aren’t the only reasons modular construction is so appealing to healthcare facilities. Minimal disruption to patients and hospital operations is another compelling reason why so many are choosing modular.

While construction is underway in the factory, comparatively less foundation work is completed onsite. Once the building modules are complete, they are delivered to the site and installed in a fraction of the time of similar traditionally built structures. As a result, hospital operations commonly go unaffected, patients can get needed rest and buildings are completed in as little as half the time. This allows healthcare providers to offer new and better services to more patients, sooner.

In the event that construction does shut down a medical facility, temporary medical buildings can be brought in to allow doctors to continue to provide care. With this in mind, we’re certain modular will continue to be a popular option for new healthcare construction.

The term prefabricated construction leads many to think about complete structures built in a factory which are then transported to the site and set on a foundation. While this building method is becoming increasingly popular, there are other ways builders are using factory precision and efficiencies to create quality structures.

ModSpace remodeled temporary modular buildings for the construction of its permanent office in Hartford, CT.

A traditional building renovation can be a big undertaking. Not only does it mean months of planning and design for the remodel itself, but it also means making arrangements for displaced workers, and dealing with site disruption, which will go on for months.

When it comes to initial building, modular construction is generally faster and more efficient than traditional construction, giving businesses a greater return on their investment. Yet, does the same hold true when it comes to a remodel?

Greater Flexibility for Remodels

Any building is subject to wear and tear as the years go on, and modular buildings are no different. After several years of steady traffic, a permanent modular building will Read more

Across the country, office construction has seen a recent boom, thanks to technology companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. These multi-billion dollar firms are expanding rapidly, and looking for more space for offices and data storage.

Any building project, whether traditional or modular construction, takes a certain amount of planning and preparation before construction can get underway. Here’s a quick rundown as to what you can expect before you’re ready to break ground.

Site Selection

Location is your most important consideration. Manufacturing facilities should be within close proximity to shipping routes, be them interstates, rail or waterways. Retail stores, on the other hand, are best placed Read more

There’s no shortage of misconceptions about modular construction. Some believe that because modular buildings are constructed in a factory, instead of at the construction site, they don’t offer the same quality, versatility, or architectural appeal of traditional construction.

We’ve highlighted the five most common myths of modular construction in a previous post, addressing such issues as the permanence, sustainability, and visual appeal of modular buildings. However, some continue to pose the question, so it’s worth delving into this myth more deeply to show it’s simply not true.

Myth: Modular buildings are low in quality.

Reality: Modular buildings are constructed in a factory under strict quality and environmental controls. Every cut and connection is inspected, tested and confirmed to Read more